New Zoning for FUJIFILM $34M Expansion

High-tech manufacturer FUJIFILM Electronic Materials USA Inc. hopes to continue the success it has enjoyed in Mesa by spending up to $34M in capital projects to expand facilities, including a 20-acre site immediately west of its current location.

To make current development and planned future projects more simple to administer, it requested the City of Mesa consolidate all three segments involved to a single designation of Heavy Industrial with an Airfield and Planned Area Development overlay.

The area is bounded by Pecos Road on the south and Mountain Road to the east. To the north is the planned State Route 24. The future path of Signal Butte Road lies to the west. In all, the request covers slightly more than 50 acres and includes the original manufacturing facility, a 5.8 acre 2016 expansion to the north and the newly proposed 20-acre western expansion, all of which had different zoning designations.

Planning and Zoning Board staff had recommended to Fuji that they consolidate the segments under a single designation to avoid complications in applying ordinance required for the company’s overall development plans.

In its Feb. 15 meeting, the board unanimously approved the zoning request with conditions, one of which will require the creation of development agreement regarding the two planned roadways.

The Expansion

Fuji opened its main facility on the site in 1995 to manufacture materials for the semiconductor industry. It has since added other product lines. The main facility is currently zoned General Industrial with a Council Use Permit.

In 2016 the company requested rezoning of 5.8 acres immediately north of the main facility from General Industrial to Heavy Industrial – Airfield to allow for the development of an isotainer parking area.

The current request was put in place after Fuji announced plans for a $34M capital expansion project on the 20 acres immediately west of the main facility, which were then zoned Agricultural.

Phase 1 of the development will feature the creation of the isotainer area to the north and an 18KSF central plant on the western portion.

Phase 2 will further develop the west with a 53.6KSF research and development/office building, a 52.9KSF chemical-mechanical planarization/office building and a 40KSF finished goods warehouse. The warehouse could then be expanded later to approximately double its initial size.